Buddleia Plant Named &#39;SRPbudroy&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of  Buddleia  plant, herein referred to by its cultivar name, ‘SRPbudroy’, is provided which forms on a substantially continuous basis attractive deep purple colored flowers. Attractive, dark green colored foliage is formed. The growth habit is upright and the plant has moderate growth vigor. The new variety is well suited for providing attractive ornamentation in the landscape.

Botanical/commercial classification: Latin name—Buddleia hybrid.

Varietal denomination: ‘SRPbudroy’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new variety of Buddleia hybrid plant originated in a controlledbreeding program in Guadalupe, Calif. during August 2013. The objectiveof the breeding program was the development of a series of Buddleiacultivars with well-branched habits, sterility, and cultivars in a rangeof colors. The new cultivar was created by cross-pollination wherein twoparents were crossed which previously had been studied in the hope thatthey would contribute the desired characteristics. The female parent(i.e., the seed parent) was the ‘TOBUD0802’ variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No.23,463). The male parent (i.e., the pollen parent) was an unnamedbreeder seedling variety (not patented).

The parentage of the new variety can be summarized as follows:

‘TOBUD0802’ x unnamed breeder seedling

The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single flowering plantfrom the progeny resulting from the above pollination during August 2014in a controlled environment in Guadalupe, Calif. Selective studyresulted in the identification of a single plant of the new variety.

It was found that the new variety of Buddleia plant of the presentinvention:

-   -   (a) forms deep purple colored flowers,    -   (b) displays dark green colored foliage,    -   (c) exhibits a moderately vigorous and upright growth habit, and    -   (d) is well suited for providing attractive ornamentation.

The new variety well meets the needs of the horticultural industry. Itcan be grown to advantage as ornamentation in parks, gardens, publicareas, and in residential settings. Accordingly, the plant isparticularly well suited for growing in the landscape.

The new variety of the present invention can readily be distinguishedfrom its ancestors. More specifically, the ‘TOBUD0802’ variety (i.e.,the seed parent) displays magenta pink colored flowers, medium greencolored foliage, and medium compact growth habit, while the new varietyprovides deep purple colored flowers, dark green colored foliage, and anupright growth habit. The unnamed breeding seedling male parent (i.e.,the pollen parent) displays dark purple colored flowers and mediumgreen-colored foliage, is very vigorous, and has a medium compact growthhabit, while the new variety displays deep purple colored flowers anddark green colored foliage, is moderately vigorous, and has an uprightgrowth habit.

The new variety can also be distinguished from other similar varietiesthat are commercially available. For instance, the new variety of thepresent invention can readily be distinguished from the Tobudpipurvariety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,064), as the new cultivar displays amore upright growth habit than the ‘Tobudpipur’ variety and the flowersof the new variety are deeper purple colored than the flowers of the‘Tobudpipur’ variety.

The new variety has been found to undergo asexual propagation byterminal stem cuttings. Asexual propagation by terminal stem cuttings inGuadalupe, Calif. since August 2014 has shown that the characteristicsof the new variety are stable and are strictly transmissible by suchasexual propagation from one generation to another. Accordingly, the newvariety undergoes asexual propagation in a true-to-type manner.

The new variety has been named ‘SRPbudroy’.

The new variety was first offered for sale on Jan. 9, 2019 at Baltimore,Md. by the inventor or by another who obtained the new variety directlyor indirectly from the inventor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same, in a color illustration of this character,typical specimens of the plant and plant parts of the new variety.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed description, which accurately describes the colorsof the ‘SRPbudroy’ variety. The plants were grown in three-gallon potsfor approximately four months outside at Cochranville, Pa. Plants werepinched once after transplant.

FIG. 1—illustrates a specimen of the plant displaying the overall growthand flowering habit—side view.

FIG. 2—illustrates a specimen of an inflorescence in the course ofopening.

FIG. 3—illustrates specimens of leaves—plan view—obverse.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of the colors is that of The RoyalHorticultural Society (R.H.S. Color Chart), 2015 edition, London,England. The terminology which precedes reference to the chart has beenadded to indicate the corresponding color in more common terms. Thecolor values were determined in August 2019 under natural lightconditions in Cochranville, Pa. The description is based on theobservation of plants produced from cuttings from stock plants and grownin three-gallon containers for approximately four months in an outdoornursery in Cochranville, Pa. Plants were pinched once after transplant.

-   Class: Buddleia Plant.-   Common name: Butterfly bush.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 10 to 14 days on            average.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 21 to 25            days on average.        -   Root description.—Fibrous.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant:    -   -   Habit.—Moderate growth vigor and upright.        -   Commercial crop time.—Approximately 2 months from a rooted            cutting to finish in a 3 gallon container on average.        -   Size.—Approximately 50.0 cm in height from soil level to top            of plant plane on average; and approximately 70.0 cm in            width on average.-   Branches:    -   -   Branching habit.—Freely branching, pinching enhances basal            branching.        -   Quantity of main branches per plant.—Approximately 10 on            average.        -   Strength.—Commonly strong, somewhat flexible and becomes            woody with age.        -   Size.—Length: approximately 40.0 cm on average. — diameter:            approximately 5.0 mm on average. — length of central            internode: approximately 6.0 cm on average.        -   Texture.—Viscid, densely glandular pubescent.        -   Color.—Young stems: commonly near Yellow-Green Group 146C            with some coloring of near Brown Group 200B. — mature stems:            commonly near Greyed-Orange Group 177C.-   Foliage:    -   -   Number of leaves.—Approximately 30 per branch on average;            and approximately 10 per branched lateral stem on average.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Form.—Simple.        -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Durability to stress.—Moderate to high.-   Leaves:    -   -   Aspect.—Primarily perpendicular to stem.        -   Shape.—General: lanceolate to oblanceolate. — margin:            serrulate. — apex: acute. — base: attenuate.        -   Venation.—Pattern: pinnate, reticulate. — upper surface            color: indistinguishable from the upper surface leaf color.            — under surface color: commonly near Greyed-Green Group            192C.        -   Size.—Length of mature leaf: approximately 12.0 cm on            average. — width of mature leaf: approximately 3.5 cm on            average.        -   Texture.—Upper and lower surfaces: pubescent.        -   Color.—Upper surface of mature foliage: commonly between            near Green Group 137A and 137B. — lower surface of mature            foliage: commonly near Greyed-Green Group 192B.        -   Petiole.—Shape: rounded, slightly curved. — length:            approximately 3.0 mm on average. — width: approximately 3.0            mm on average. — texture: densely pubescent with lanulose            hairs. — color: commonly near Greyed-Green Group 192B.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Quantity.—Approximately 20 open inflorescences per plant on            average, and approximately 500 flowers per inflorescence on            average, opening from base to apex.        -   Density of the flowers per inflorescence.—Very dense.        -   Type.—Terminal panicles, each panicle having about 2 to 4            branches on average; and flowers persistent, facing upward            and outward.        -   Shape.—Conical.        -   Fragrance.—Very faint.        -   Depth or height.—Approximately 15.0 cm on average.        -   Width.—Approximately 3.5 cm on average.        -   Rachis.—Strength: strong. — length: approximately 10.0 cm on            average. — diameter: approximately 2.0 mm on average. —            texture: pubescent with stellate hairs. — color: commonly            near Yellow-Green Group 146B.        -   Peduncle.—Length: approximately 4.3 cm on average. —            diameter: approximately 3.0 mm on average. — texture:            slightly tomentose. — color: commonly near Greyed-Green            Group 191B.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—Single, salverform.        -   Bud just before opening.—Shape: oblong. — length:            approximately 6.0 mm on average. — diameter: approximately            1.0 mm on average. — texture: glabrous. — color of petals:            commonly near Purple Group 77A.        -   Corolla.—Shape: rotate, commonly 4 petals arranged in a            single whorl. — depth: approximately 1.0 cm on average. —            width: approximately 8.0 mm on average. — corolla eye color:            commonly near Orange Group 26A.        -   Petals.—Shape: rotund. — margin: erosulate. — apex: rounded.            — length from throat: approximately 8.0 mm on average. —            width: approximately 3.0 mm on average. — texture of upper            and lower surfaces: glabrous. — color of upper and lower            surfaces when first and fully open: commonly near            Purple-Violet Group N81A.        -   Corolla tube.—Length: approximately 7.0 mm on average. —            width: approximately 1.0 mm on average. — diameter of throat            opening: approximately 1.0 mm on average. — inner surface:            texture is lightly pubescent and color is commonly near            Greyed-Orange Group N163B. — outer surface: texture is            glabrous and color is commonly near Red-Purple Group 63B.        -   Calyx.—Shape: tubular. — length: approximately 3.0 mm on            average. — diameter: approximately 1.0 mm on average.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower commonly 4 on average, fused at            base. — length: approximately 3.0 mm on average. — width:            commonly less than 1.0 mm. — apex: acute. — margin of free            portion: entire. — inner surface: — texture: glabrous. —            color: commonly near Yellow-Green Group 144A. — outer            surface: — texture: moderately pubescent. — color: commonly            near Yellow-Green Group 144A.        -   Pedicels.—Strength: strong, flexible. — length:            approximately 1.0 mm on average. — diameter: approximately            3.0 mm on average. — texture: densely pubescent with            stellate hairs. — color: commonly near Yellow-Green Group            146C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium. — Stamen: commonly 4 per            flower, completely adnate to corolla. — filament: no            noticeable filament observed to date. — anther: shape is            lanceolate, length is approximately 1.0 mm on average, and            color is commonly near Yellow Group 11C. — pollen: amount is            moderate and coloration is commonly near Yellow Group 11C. —            gynoecium: — pistil: commonly 1 per flower, length is            approximately 2.0 mm on average. — stigma: shape is cleft,            two-parted, length is approximately 1.0 mm on average, and            color is commonly near Yellow-Green Group 144A. — style:            length is approximately 1.0 mm on average and coloration is            commonly near Yellow-Green Group 145B, opaque. — ovary:            length is approximately 1.5 mm on average and coloration is            commonly near Yellow-Green Group 145A. — seed and fruit:            none have been observed to date.-   Development:    -   -   Blooming.—Freely flowering under outdoor growing conditions            with substantially continuous blooming from late spring            through mid-fall.        -   Lastingness of individual flower.—Approximately 5 days on            average.        -   Tolerance to disease and pest.—Not observed to date.        -   Hardiness zone.—USDA zone 5.

The new ‘SRPbudroy’ variety has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that thephenotypic expression may vary somewhat with changes in light intensityand duration, cultural practices, and other environmental conditions.

I claim: 1 . A new and distinct variety of Buddleia plant characterizedby the following combination of characteristics: (a) forms deep purplecolored flowers, (b) displays dark green colored foliage, (c) exhibits amoderately vigorous and upright growth habit, and (d) is well suited forproviding attractive ornamentation; substantially as herein shown anddescribed.